Jeffrey Kalinsky

One of the first retailers to open a store in New York's Meatpacking District in the late 90s and founder of the Jeffrey boutique chain, Jeffrey Kalinsky is widely credited with having spurred the rejuvenation of the now trendy west Manhattan locale. Serving as Director of Design Merchandising at Nordstrom following the company's acquisition of his namesake boutiques in 2005, Kalinsky was appointed to his current role of Executive Vice President of Designer Merchandising in 2007. Introducing designers such as Gucci, Nina Ricci, and Comme des Garcons, Kalinsky has helped Nordstrom to evolve into a more contemporary and fashion forward retailer, appealing to a newer generation of luxury consumers. After founding his first Jeffrey boutique in Atlanta, Kalinsky also established the first Jil Sander boutique in the southern city in the early 90's. Moving to New York in 1999, Kalinsky opened his second Jeffrey boutique to instant industry acclaim and became one of the first specialty stores to stock designers such as Gucci, Helmut Lang and Ann Demeulemeester. In 2003, Kalinsky founded the Jeffrey Cares charity organization, holding annual catwalk and fashion events attended by high profile industry insiders to raise funds for charitable foundations. In 2013, the charity raised an estimated $800,000 for Susan G Koman for the Cure and the Atlanta Aids Fund.